Coos Texts: Creation Myths: 3. The Ascent to Heaven

The young man came to a nice prairie. There was no wind. Just one prairie was spread out. Nowhere could he see anything. There were no mountains. "What may happen to me?" (he thought). There was no food at all. He saw two blue-cranes coming towards him singly. The blue-cranes sat down at the edge of the prairie. The young man shot arrows at the blue-cranes. It seemed as if he had hit the blue-cranes; nevertheless they flew up. He followed them wherever they went. He did not find (any) arrows (at the place) where he had shot them. So he stood there (thinking), "I too will go where the blue-cranes have gone." He did not know where the people (were, and thought to himself), "What am I going to do?"

People came to know this, and they began to shout, "Hä'tcît!'s child is up here, Hä'tcît!'s child is up here!" Suddenly (some one) was hunting sea-otters down the river. No one could hit them. They did not know Hä'tcît!'s child, although they were surprised to see him. In this manner people were hunting. It would seem as if they certainly had hit her, but the sea-otter would still keep on swimming. He was seen, (and they wanted to know) how Hä'tcît!'s child looked. They liked him very much when they saw him.

Surely, he went down. He returned and saw his children. He was dropped down in a basket. Somewhat far off he was dropped down. As soon as he was dropped down, he went into the house and saw his wives. The old man rested in the sweat-house. His grandchildren went there (and said), "Our (dual) father has come back." He did not believe his grandchildren. "Perhaps you two are lying." After a while the children went there again. "Look, this our (dual) father brought home. This is our lunch." Sure enough, it was so. The old man believed it. He had marked himself with ashes, and cut his hair. He could barely talk, and (began to) look for his cane.

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